Press release of 21 September 2026
New IDOS publication identifies pathways to rebuild international cooperation in times of disruption and to advance sustainable futures.
Geopolitical rivalry, conflict, authoritarian nationalism and the systematic erosion of rules-based politics are reshaping the global order and putting cooperation under growing pressure. Yet the picture is more nuanced: while disruptive trends dominate the headlines, reforms are taking shape at the same time.
This is the central message of Disruption and Reform: Sustainable Futures at Stake? The Case for Politics of Cooperation and Perseverance, a new publication by the German Institute of Development and Sustainability (IDOS). Drawing on research, policy advice and knowledge cooperation at IDOS and within its partner networks, the volume examines where cooperation is already being adapted and rebuilt – and which actors can help drive these reforms.
The authors argue that Germany and Europe should not respond to a changing world by retreating from international cooperation. Instead, they should invest in politics of cooperation and perseverance. This means adapting institutions, building new partnerships and deepening existing ones as well as finding practical ways for countries to work together even when consensus is difficult to reach. The publication highlights transition, middle-power coalitions, new forms of plurilateral cooperation, institutional adaptation, reconfigured partnership and financing architectures, as well as new cultures of cooperation and political leadership.
Reform can emerge even when institutions are under strain
The future of the World Trade Organization (WTO) illustrates this tension. The multilateral trading system is facing serious challenges, including unilateral tariffs, geopolitical competition and the continuing paralysis of its dispute-settlement system. However, disruption and reform are unfolding simultaneously.
For example, 66 WTO members, representing roughly 70 per cent of global trade, have moved forward with plans to implement the E-Commerce Agreement on an interim basis outside the formal WTO framework, with the explicit aim of integrating it at a later stage. Other groups of WTO members are also advancing agreements on issues such as services and investment facilitation.
The publication sees these developments as evidence that disruption and reform can unfold in parallel. Rather than waiting for a comprehensive agreement among all WTO members, groups of countries are experimenting with new forms of cooperation. The authors argue that such initiatives could contribute to a more flexible, hybrid trading architecture, while cautioning that long-term reliance on arrangements outside the WTO could further weaken the multilateral system.
From disruption to sustainable futures
The WTO example reflects a broader argument running through the volume. Reform does not necessarily begin with a grand redesign of the international system. It can – and in fact does – also emerge through coalitions of countries, institutional adaptation and practical cooperation in specific policy areas.
The publication therefore looks beyond trade. Its contributions examine peace and security; geopolitics, partnerships and Europe’s role in the international order; multilateralism and the future of the United Nations; and environmental cooperation. They also explore development finance and domestic revenue mobilisation, global health beyond 2030, artificial intelligence and development cooperation, as well as transnational knowledge cooperation and transformative capabilities.
Across these different areas, a common thread emerges even under mounting pressure, actors are finding new ways to sustain and reshape cooperation. The aim is not to predict a single future, but to identify practical and political pathways through which disruptive change can generate reform dynamics that sustain cooperation and enable sustainable futures.
Read and download the full publication here: https://doi.org/10.23661/r4.2026
Watch the editors talking about core elements of this publication here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fZYcck5COe4